Duke basketball: Blue Devils may have forfeited five-star pursuit

The projected 2021-22 Duke basketball roster isn’t enticing undecided bigs.

There’s nary a peep these days regarding the Duke basketball coaches’ recruitment of the only remaining big man on their offer sheet: IMG (Fla.) five-star center Charles Bediako, a 6-foot-11, 225-pound Canadian who ranks No. 23 overall on the 247Sports 2021 Composite.

That makes sense for several reasons, even though Duke landed among Bediako’s top 10 back in the spring along with Alabama, Baylor, Maryland, Michigan, Memphis, Ohio State, Southern Cal, Tennessee, and Texas.

First, any serious interest that Bediako might’ve had in the Blue Devils could have completely dissolved after O’Dea (Wash.) five-star power forward Paolo Banchero, No. 3 in the class, committed to Duke in August.

Also, it’s quite possible that the only full-time post presence the program will lose following the upcoming season is grad transfer Patrick Tape. With that in mind, a starting gig as a Duke basketball freshman must now look like a highly unlikely possibility in the eyes of Bediako.

ALSO READ: Predicting Duke’s 2021-22 roster

Sure, Duke sophomore Matthew Hurt will probably bolt early for the pro ranks, leaving another spot to fill; that said, as a prototypical stretch-four, the former five-star prep isn’t exactly what one would call a true big like Bediako.

Plus, next year, the staff in Durham is also set to welcome a chiseled, versatile small forward in Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) five-star small forward AJ Griffin, who ranks No. 6 and pledged allegiance to Duke almost a year ago. Furthermore, Mike Krzyzewski and his crew stand a solid chance to return two current freshman power forwards in Jaemyn Brakefield and Henry Coleman.

Finally, it doesn’t seem that freshman center Mark Williams, despite being a 7-foot former five-star, is a top one-and-done candidate. Much like Bediako, Williams is fairly nimble for his size but lacks beast-mode explosiveness, and his post moves aren’t on par with the likes of some recent one-and-done Blue Devils such as Jahlil Okafor and Vernon Carey Jr.

Any buzz at all for Duke basketball?

In regards to Bediako, the 247Sports Crystal Ball, Rivals FutureCast, and general chatter among insiders point to Alabama being the clear frontrunner. The old-for-his-grade 18-year-old is probably seeking a spot to shine as a centerpiece down low, like the opportunity that could await with the Crimson Tide, as Eric Bossi of Rivals explained back in late July:

“Nate Oats and his program have ample playing time available…they’ve done a great job of surrounding Bediako’s recruitment and covering all their bases with him. Recruiting is on the rise in Tuscaloosa…they’d really like a primetime big man to feature like Bediako.”

Granted, in the same article, Bossi tagged the Blue Devils as the No. 2 contenders for Bediako, who picked up an offer from Coach K & Co. way back in December. Again, though, that was before Banchero’s unexpected announcement, which provided a complete sigh of relief for Duke fans — no matter what happens from here — when thinking about the paint in Durham come 2021-22.

Add in the fact that the last reported contact between the Blue Devils and Bediako was back in May, and it now appears that this is one five-star pursuit that is, at the very least, resigned to the backburner for Duke (it’s not clear, however, when Bediako intends to choose a winner).

So, if true, this would mean the Duke basketball staff is now an active participant in only three 2021 races, all involving top 20 five-stars: Paul VI (Va.) shooting guard Trevor Keels, No. 16; Montverde (Fla.) small forward Caleb Houstan, No. 8; and Hamilton (Wis.) small forward Patrick Baldwin Jr., No. 1.

Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more Duke basketball recruiting news and views.